Imagine a detective, a geopolitical analyst and crisis expert with photographic memory, capable of sifting through vast datasets in seconds, and possessing an uncanny ability to spot patterns and connections that would elude even the most seasoned analyst and generate a response.
That’s the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications across global security; transforming the way teams gather, analyse and act upon risk intelligence.
AI will quickly become the Sherlock Holmes of the 21st century, solving the complexities of global security & enabling resilience with unmatched speed and accuracy.
However, just like Sir Conan Doyle’s infamous detective, AI is a force unto itself. A lack of standardisation and regulation leaves it open to broader applications that can blur the lines on ethical usage. The paradox lies in that AI, the tech intended to bolster security, can also undermine it.
Strengthen business resilience
For as long as technological solutions have existed in global security, the interaction between people and data has been a core pillar in the effectiveness of business resilience strategies. In this scenario, AI will take risk & resilience management further than before, enabling faster and more informed strategic moves by enterprises operating across a turbulent global landscape.
Operational resilience is at the top of the security agenda. At this year’s Global Security Exchange (GSX), Jenn Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), laid out a call to action focused on developing more robust defences and the power of collaborative partnerships across industry and government. For businesses and organisations, this means ensuring their security infrastructure is not only capable of handling today’s risks but also adaptable to tomorrow’s threats. This is where AI has the chance to shine.
As we well know, AI excels at labour-intensive, manual tasks and processing vast datasets. From enhanced operational capabilities such as advanced risk assessment, real-time surveillance optimisation, and efficient incident response strategies, AI has already made its mark on global security.
However, this cannot happen for an organisation in a vacuum, data does matter. AI is only as contextually accurate and intelligence as the data it is fed, and unless if you would like
your organisational context to be ignore, how your security and resilience data is managed today, will determine how well AI can be enabled in your organisation tomorrow.
However, the resilience industry suffers from fragmentation of data, due to the myriad of legacy systems relied upon everyday by organisations. This must change, and is becoming high on the agenda to solve for security and technology leadership.
If coupled with the right organisational data, then AI can, and is, working to increase resource capacity, streamline decision-making processes and augment human expertise in critical security operations. The more efficient processes can be made, the faster organisations can identify and respond to emerging threats, enabling them to make more effective decisions around the management of their people, locations and assets across the world.
AI can be implemented effectively alongside unified technology platforms that helps to integrate data from diverse sources, bridge silos and provide organisations with a comprehensive, real-time view of their entire operational footprint, from a global perspective to a site-specific view.
By analysing these vast datasets, AI can uncover hidden patterns and predict future trends with unprecedented accuracy. This empowers businesses to anticipate and mitigate risks at any scale, and respond swiftly and decisively to incidents or crises. However, to harness the full potential of AI, organisations must first establish a unified, high-quality data foundation. A fragmented data landscape hinders AI’s ability to learn and make informed decisions.
A call for standardisation
At the same time, the ethical and data privacy concerns of AI are well-founded, and our sector needs to quickly establish a level of standardisation and best practice around its use.
Governments and regulatory bodies worldwide are recognising the imperative of establishing guidelines and regulations for AI across the board. New frameworks and laws from several countries aim to address concerns across data protection, human rights, accountability, transparency and safety. For example, the EU’s AI Act is a comprehensive legislative proposal that categorises AI systems based on their risk level, setting distinct requirements for each category. The proposal establishes a European Artificial Intelligence Board to oversee the implementation and enforcement of these rules.
Similarly, the US National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act fosters collaboration between government and industry, promotes AI education and establishes ethical guidelines. The
National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee serves as a watchdog, offering expert advice to ensure AI is developed and deployed effectively and ethically.
Regulations like these are a strong step towards mitigating risks, ensuring ethical practices and foster trust in AI-driven solutions. As global markets comply with these regulations, organisations will be better positioned to leverage AI’s capabilities to enhance their security posture, improve operational efficiency and build a more resilient business.
Leveraging the great detective
AI is becoming a powerful tool for security operations. However, as AI rapidly advances, ethical considerations must be at the forefront. This point was hammered home by AI expert Rana el Kaliouby at this year’s GSX.
While AI’s economic potential is undeniable, adding over $2.6 trillion to the global economy, global regions must continue to implement strong ethical frameworks, especially when incorporating AI into workplace security.
AI presents a unique opportunity for the security industry to become more proactive in their efforts. Tasks like forecasting security incidents and providing real-time threat analysis can be significantly enhanced with AI’s capabilities. By harnessing the power of AI coupled with a unified tech data and tech stack, , the security industry can truly benefit from the modern-day Sherlock Holmes of technology.
About the Author
Botan Osman is co-founder CEO of Restrata. Restrata provides a better way to protect your people, assets, and organisation with resilienceOS: the only end-to-end platform built from the ground up by operators, for operators. Restrata was originally founded as the technology arm of one of the world’s largest security services companies, providing design, prepare and respond solutions in high threat areas over many decades. We witnessed first-hand the extreme pain of data siloes and system-hopping and the negative impact on response efforts that endangered lives, put business assets at risk and disrupted continuity. This deep industry expertise led us to build resilienceOS, one end-to-end platform built from the ground up to unify your data, gain insights and take action to protect what matters.
